Luke took a calming breath to collect himself as Tim pulled the car up on the correct block. Timothy turned off his siren with a flip of his wrist, and Luke heard him groan.
"We have spectators," Tim announced.
"Now that we need access to the building, now there are spectators?" Luke asked incredulously. "Leo said everything was quiet. Where did those people come from?"
The doctor suspiciously eyed the cluster of individuals that were lingering on the outskirts of the alley as if they were enemy combatants.
"Luke, be cool," Timothy instructed. "This is why I came prepared. I'll distract them and make them move further away from the scene, and you guys can get Donny down. Does that sound like a solid plan?"
"It does to me," Kat announced as she hung up her phone. "The question is, where do I fit in?"
"Where do you think you'll be most effective?" Luke flipped the question around.
"Well…it might be better if I stayed on the ground to assist in the distracting," she said thoughtfully. "And there's Brandon to consider too."
"Did you find out anything about your brother's flight?" Luke asked.
"The airline said that the plane for Port Royal left about two hours ago. Just the same, I'd like to check the apartment and make sure Bran isn't there. From the looks of things Donny never got that far, but I'd feel better if we checked it out."
"We as in you and Tim?"
Katherine shot Timothy a questioning look. "If he's up for it."
The other man nodded stoically.
"Good; I'd prefer you didn't go alone," Luke said. "Too many unknown factors tonight. Donny needs medical attention in the worst way, and I'll be freer to focus given that you'll be together."
"Hold on," Kat said, as if realizing something. "There's bound to be evidence of the events that transpired upstairs. Maybe I should go with you for the moment, Luke, in case I need to cover something up."
"Agreed," Luke said swiftly. "But if there's much blood, it could take some heavy duty cleaning, and I don't want you alone up there either."
"Or some simple contamination." Timothy snorted. "Look in my back end, Luke. I've got a couple bottles of bleach. Just make sure you take one up with you."
"Do you always carry bleach around in your trunk?" Luke asked curiously.
Tim looked at him in the rearview mirror. "Are you forgetting about the time Mike got chased down by the NYPD, Luke? I've carried bleach with me ever since that night when I had to contaminate his evidence."
Luke shook his head. "Yeah…of course. That makes sense."
"Okay, here's how it's going down," Tim said. "I'm gonna pull up alongside these characters. Let me get out first to talk to them, and have them go across the street. Once they're out of range, you two make your move on the alley, and climb up the fire escape. Does that sound doable?"
Luke nodded his assent as Katherine double-checked her firearm. "You realize you won't be shooting anyone, right?"
She looked back at him with a trace of familiar hardness in her eyes. "Maybe not yet," Katherine allowed. "But there's the small matter of tracking down whoever attacked Donny."
Luke sighed. "Unless someone starts boasting about it in the middle of the street, I don't see how we'll find these guys, Kat."
"Yes we will, Luke," she replied with certainty.
Luke folded his arms nervously as Timothy got out of the car and disappeared around the side of the vehicle. The spell of peace is over, he thought, disheartened. I knew Kat wouldn't be satisfied to sit on the sidelines forever. She has far too many useful skills to be locked up behind four walls for the rest of her life. I enjoyed her break from law enforcement while it lasted, and I wish she could stay safe…But I can't say I blame Kat either. I didn't expect Raph or Mike to retire when they had kids. How can I say that she has to?
"You know I'm going to be careful, Luke." Kat's statement called him out of contemplation. "You would rather I stay away from the action, and I understand where you're coming from. But catching the bad guys, the worst of the worst…it's in my blood."
"I know it is," he answered. "And I've never asked you to walk away from the FBI. I've enjoyed not needing to worry about you, but I knew this eventuality was coming. Tonight's events only expedited things, didn't they?"
Katherine sighed softly as she holstered her gun. "I'm on edge because you're on edge, Luke. You don't normally let me see your nerves this way."
"I'm trying to get them under control," Luke replied. "I don't want the guys to see them."
"This is really that bad?"
He stared silently back at his wife for a few seconds. "Kat, the statistics are bad, but I haven't seen Donny in person yet. I can't say anything for sure."
Luke turned his head as he sensed shadowy figures moving under Tim's direction. "Let's get ready to go, Kat. We need to get up there."
The woman watched wordlessly as Timothy engaged the bystanders in a discussion on the other side of the street, then inched her door open. "Follow my lead, ok, Luke?"
He nodded instantly. It only made sense to allow Katherine to guide their footsteps. She's the professional after all.
Luke gave all of his concentration to not making a sound as he slipped into the alleyway behind the woman. He waited as Katherine peered at the fire escape that was out of their immediate reach. He could see the wheels turning in her mind before she climbed on top of the dumpster. While Luke watched, the woman boosted off the side of the building, leaping with the grace of a cat to catch the end of the ladder.
Sometimes I think Kat has more in common with the guys than she does me. She's just as dedicated to Taekwondo as they are to ninjutsu, and it shows. I haven't had a lot of opportunities to see her skills in action over the last couple of years, but she and Brandon have been as committed to their workouts as ever.
The bronze-haired woman made an adjustment to the ladder to extend the extra length, and to make it easier for Luke to reach.
I'm definitely the sore thumb in this crowd. But then, if we were all out trying to kick someone's tail, there wouldn't be anyone left to administer medical attention.
He climbed the ladder a little awkwardly with the plastic bag containing the bleach bottle over his shoulder. Katherine plucked the sack from him at the first opportunity.
"I'm doing fine, Kat," he complained.
"For a first timer, I suppose."
"I've been chasing these guys down for years, Kat, There's no 'first time' about it."
"Just an expression, hon," she said without cracking a smile. "I know you're not some newbie."
"A little respect, that's all I'm asking for," he grunted in return, as he yanked his way onto the platform of the fire escape.
"You're my big strong man."
"And you're just patronizing me." He grinned before the seriousness of the situation dropped in his spirit once more. "Let's keep moving, Kat. We don't have any more time to lose."
Raphael had been waiting on pins and needles ever since hearing the lone police siren, and they'd received a pulse from Tim's watch confirming that help had arrived.
What the shell could be taking Doc so long?
The red-masked turtle was close to exploding under the force of building pressure, when he finally heard the sound of footsteps crunching on broken glass from the balcony. He popped his head outside so fast that he startled Luke and Katherine.
"Doc, we need you now," he emphasized. "We could barely find a pulse on Donny!"
Luke didn't bother saying anything as he strode inside the apartment.
"Over here, behind the island, Doc!" Leo's voice rang out more loudly than it usually would have.
Raphael was following directly behind the man, so that he had to pull up short when Luke froze. The doctor's rigid posture was anything but reassuring, but Luke only hesitated a moment before hurrying to Leonardo's side.
Leo was still cradling Donatello's head in his lap as he looked up at the man with a pained expression. "I feel a fracture," he said quietly. "I didn't want to risk moving his head again until you got here."
"Hold him steady for another minute, okay, Leo? I'm going to get a couple of readings on your brother," Luke answered evenly.
Raphael sensed Michelangelo come up beside him, then realized that he and his younger brother were probably a little too close for Luke's comfort. He gripped Mike's arm to guide him backwards, and noticed Katherine standing by the shattered pane.
"Did you find anything definitive, Raph?" she asked when he made eye contact. "Any clues on who else might have been here?"
"Nothing that can help us, Kat," he said stiffly. "We know at least one other person was here, probably more, but we don't know anything else."
"We're not going to get time to figure it out either," Kat said. "Someone finally got wise down there. We had spectators waiting around the building when we arrived."
Raphael rolled his eyes. "Middle of the night, and people still can't mind their own business. That's New York for ya. Is Tim handling things down there?"
"Yeah, he took charge of directing the people across the street to give us some space to maneuver safely."
"We should get the shell out of here while we've got the chance, Fearless!" Raphael raised his voice. "We've got company on the ground, and it's only a matter of time before Tim won't be able to control them!"
"We can't afford to get reckless with Don either, Raph," Leo replied.
"No, he's right," Luke cut in. "We have to go. I need a couple of minutes to prepare Donny to be moved, and we've got to beat a hasty exit."
Raphael squinted in the darkness at Luke while he worked, and gasped when he realized that the doctor was applying a neck brace to his brother.
"Doc, you don't think his neck is broken, do you?" Raphael blurted out before he could stop himself.
"No, I'm trying to protect his skull from further injury. This will help immobilize his head somewhat, just in case he experiences a seizure or some other strong jolt."
Luke's explanation should have made him feel better, but it didn't. Doc's not in a hurry only because of the people gathering outside. He's really worried about Don.
Raphael willed himself to turn away from the scene in the kitchen, and walked out onto the overlook. He couldn't see anyone swarming the alley, but he felt even more on edge than before.
Tim knows what he's doing, he assured himself. He'll think of something to keep them away from the building, even if he has to make up some far out excuse. That is, until the real authorities arrive. If somebody noticed the broken cable the way we did, they probably called 911.
Raphael had only been outside for a little over a minute before Luke came bustling out of the apartment. "Doc, what's up?"
"We're going," he replied swiftly. "I told you, we have to hurry."
The red-masked turtle held Luke's gaze for a moment while his other two brothers worked together to support Donatello as they headed in the direction of the fire escape. The darkness made it difficult to read the doctor's features, but the man's sense of urgency and the tenseness in his stance conveyed how concerned Luke was.
Of course he's concerned, idiot, Raphael told himself. A fractured skull is nothing to joke about, and it's the second one Don's had in a year and a half. But we found the Genius, we've got the help we need….it has to be enough. We just gotta get Donny to safety, and we'll be in the clear.
Luke broke away from the turtle to look back into the apartment. "What are you doing in there, Kat?"
"Contaminating Donny's DNA!" her voice returned. "Go – I'll catch up with you later! Remember I'm sticking with Tim, and we're going to check Greg and Brandon's place."
"Make sure you're gone soon!" Luke pleaded. "Hurry and finish it. We're going to need the whole family together."
Luke's wording struck Raphael strangely. It made sense that the extended clan would huddle up at a time like this, but something about the way Doc said it was disturbing. There was a desperate undertone to Luke's normally even keel.
"I will, Luke! After we check the apartment, we'll stop back at the condo to pick up Victoria and Reina, all right?"
"Good; Jen's going to need her Mom," Luke said more softly. "We've got to go, Kat, be safe!"
Leonardo and Michelangelo were already out of sight with Donatello, and Luke immediately headed for the fire escape after his parting words to Katherine. Raphael caught the man by the arm before he could descend over the side of the balcony.
"Doc, be real with me. I don't remember hearing you sound this scared before. Everything's gonna work out, isn't it?"
"There isn't time to get into it right now, Raph. I promise I'm not going to hide anything from you, but it needs to wait for a little while."
The turtle considered objecting, but then shut his mouth. I shouldn't push him about it this second, not with everything he's dealing with.
A numb feeling spread through Raphael's body as he followed Luke to the ground. As his feet touched the pavement, a realization crossed his mind. Doc didn't even try to reassure me. Shell, this is not good. He always has something to say to try and make us feel better.
Emotion was welling up through his stoic exterior, and Raphael had to breathe deeply to control it. He's alive, Donny's alive. The docs will get him through this. Losing it isn't gonna help anybody.
The sound of additional sirens in the distance caught Raphael's ear, and he picked up speed along with the others. The exited the alley at the opposite end from which they'd entered, and Raphael yanked the cover off the first manhole he saw.
The red-masked turtle leaped down into the darkness so he could take Donatello from his other brothers. An uncontrollable shudder traveled through Raphael as he carefully clutched Donny in his arms. All the fear and desperation came spilling out in an instant, as the urge to cry became too great to resist.